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The Salmonberry Corridor follows 86 miles of the Port of Tillamook Bay Railway, passing through a remarkable Coast Range landscape of wild rivers and Oregon coastline before it ultimately ends at the town of Tillamook. For many years this railway was used to transport timber and agricultural products over the Coast Range, but a 2007 storm delivered a crippling blow that rendered the tracks useless for rail transportation. The trail still very walkable, however, and it provides relatively easy access to some beautifully rugged landscape.
This upper portion of the trail is just a short drive from Portland, and it offers both there-and-back and one-way options. Either method presents hikers with stunning canyon views along impressive trestle bridges and train tunnels (bring a headlamp!). The Salmonberry Corridor is a testament to the forces of nature, as large portions of the tracks are either mangled by washouts and landslides or are completely overgrown with trees and brush. It is often easier to abandon the track for quick detours around severely damaged areas. Make sure to watch your step as you cross the towering trestle bridges; portions have been damaged and some ties have fallen in places. If you are planning on a there-and-back trip, you will want to start on the Cochran Road end of the journey. The trail is around 6.25 miles from Cochran Road to the Beaver Slide Road crossing.
The Salmonberry Corridor is a truly unique experience, full of heights, dramatic scenery, and a sense of isolation. There are feasibility discussions currently underway between Oregon Parks and Recreation, the State Department of Forestry, the Port of Tillamook Bay, Cycle Oregon, and the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad to transform the old railway into a bicycle and pedestrian path.
Logistics + Planning
Preferable season(s)
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Congestion
Low
Parking Pass
Not Required
Pros
Coastal forest. Unique tracks, trestles, and tunnels. Flat hiking.
Wow! What a cool trail. Walking on the railroad ties was awesome and views along the bridges were nice. You have a sense of nature taking back over the entire hike.
Quick note at the start. There are two sets of train tracks. If you follow the wrong set you'll quickly dead-end into an old abandoned train car (photos included). I explored further to see if the rails met back up but ended up bushwhacking through overgrown shrubs before getting to a road, which I followed for 10 minutes to no avail. All to do then was turn back after wasting a lot of time.
The right set of tracks for the trail has a road that runs alongside it and quickly leads to the lake where the reflection photos are taken.
I only made it to the first truss bridge before going back to get on the road before sunset, but I'll be back to do the whole hike later.
Comments
Quick note at the start. There are two sets of train tracks. If you follow the wrong set you'll quickly dead-end into an old abandoned train car (photos included). I explored further to see if the rails met back up but ended up bushwhacking through overgrown shrubs before getting to a road, which I followed for 10 minutes to no avail. All to do then was turn back after wasting a lot of time.
The right set of tracks for the trail has a road that runs alongside it and quickly leads to the lake where the reflection photos are taken.
I only made it to the first truss bridge before going back to get on the road before sunset, but I'll be back to do the whole hike later.
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